Iconic MARVEL Characters Are "Revealed" Like Never Before In ESPN's Body Issue

The yearly ESPN Body Issue is set to be released tomorrow July 10th, 2015. This year there is an extra element that will grace the pages of the magazine. Illustrators from Marvel Comics have teamed up with ESPN The Magazine to bring Marvel characters to life like never before. Not only will these characters be featured in the magazine, but some of the illustrations can be seen in this  exclusive digital sketchbook. The illustrations, like the ones below, can be viewed in color using a slider bar at the link above. Otto Strong, the Deputy Editor of ESPN The Magazine had this to say about using Marvel characters in the magazine,

“While The Body Issue itself celebrates the unique characteristics of each athlete’s physique, we thought it made perfect sense to extend this theme to these Marvel characters,” says ESPN The Magazine Deputy Editor Otto Strong.

What does a sports magazine featuring Athletes in the buff and Marvel Comics have in common? Here is what one of the editors had to say about the Marvel characters being featured in the magazine.

"When comic book artists imagine the physical ideal, they have to start somewhere," says Editor In Chief Axel Alonso. "And let's face it, professional athletes, whose bodies are fine-tuned instruments, are the closest thing to real-life Super Heroes. Marvel's Body Issue insert is a celebration of the most iconic Super Heroes in the world and the athletes that inspired them."

Here are some other quotes and thoughts from the artists about creating illustrations for the ESPN's Body Issue.

DAREDEVIL
“My goal is to make super heroes more human. We look to see ourselves in many masked vigilantes. Not only with Daredevil, but many characters I draw are based on real people. —Alex Maleev
 
CAPTAIN MARVEL
“I work to combine correct proportions and powerful muscle shapes with a commonly accepted idea of beauty.” —Sara Pichelli
 
MEDUSA
“Women are more delicate in muscle mass definition, so the secret is to not define each muscle too much.” —Emanuela Lupacchino
 
LUKE CAGE
“I tend to gravitate toward athletes when it comes to getting a reference for my artwork. Particularly MMA fighters, who have a more functional physique.” —Leinil Francis Yu
 
SHE-HULK
“She’s a character of power, so I keep her upright: shoulders back, chest out—just a very commanding presence.” —Frank Cho
 
IRON FIST
“I do tons of reference. I try to get a variety of artists from different time periods to see how different people represented the character. —Russell Dauterman
 
IRON MAN
“Drawing super heroes? Well, they have to be perfect. They are like modern gods.” —Mike Deodato
 
HULK
“When I’m illustrating such dynamic figures, background explosions help sell the impact the character is having on the environment around him. The toughest part is trying to show the kinetic energy in a static image.” —Jim Cheung
 
ANT-MAN
“I always try to have the musculature of something that could possibly exist. Even though everything looks extremely exaggerated, I still want him to look like he can move and be functional.” —Greg Land